1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a connector mounting construction for mounting a housing in a sliding and/or floating state. The invention also relates to a connector and to a holder for such a connector mounting construction.
2. Description of the Related Art.
The assembly of a vehicle often requires male and female housings to be connected with each other in a difficult place, such as at a rear side of a panel. To facilitate this connecting operation, one of the housings is mounted in a displaceable or floating state. Thus, if a mating attempt is made with a mating housing that is displaced from an axis of connection, the floating housing moves or floats transversely to oppose and align with the mating housing so that the two housings can be connected properly with each other.
An example of such a connector mounting construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,768, and is described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 7, a door frame 1 is provided with three electric devices 2, such as a power window device, and each electric device 2 is provided with a male housing 4 formed with a receptacle 3. FIG. 7 also shows a trim panel 5 that is to be assembled into the door frame 1. The trim panel 5 is provided with switches (not shown), such as a power window switch. Female housings 6 are provided for connection with the switches and are mounted in a floating state in positions to face the corresponding male housings 3 on the door frame 1.
Each female housing 6 is comprised of a fittable portion 7 and a mount portion 8 that is assembled integrally with the fittable portion 7, as shown in FIG. 8. Additionally, each female housing 6 is mounted on the trim panel 5 via a holder 9 and a bracket 11. Each fittable portion 7 is fit into the corresponding receptacle 3 of the male housing 5 along the Z-axis of FIGS. 7 and 8. The movement of the fittable portion 7 into the receptacle 3 is facilitated by a slanted outer peripheral surface 12 at the leading end of the fittable portion 7. Further, each mount portion 8 is provided with a mount plate 13 that is mountable on the rear side of the fittable portion 7. A cylindrical shaft 15 extends from the mount plate 13 along an axis of connection of the male and female housings 4 and 6 (Z-axis direction), and a disk-shaped base 16 is provided at the leading end of the shaft 15. Four elastic pieces 17 are cantilevered from the outer periphery of the base 16.
The prior art holder 9 is provided with a rectangular accommodating portion 18 for accommodating the base 16, and an upper wall of the accommodating portion 18 is formed with a circular hole 19 through which the shaft 15 can be inserted. Further, three mount holes 23 are provided around the accommodating portion 18. The female housing 6 can be slid with respect to the holder 9 in directions (X-axis and Y-axis directions) normal to the Z-axis direction, and is constantly biased toward its center position in the accommodating portion 18 by contact between the respective elastic pieces 17 and the inner wall of the accommodating portion 18. Further, the bracket 11 has a triangular plate 21 secured to the trim panel 5. Struts 22 project from the three corners of the plate 21, and the bracket 11 is held to the holder 9 by fitting the leading ends of the respective struts 22 into the mount holes 23 of the holder 9.
The male and female housings 4 and 6 are connected with each other by assembling the trim panel 5 into the door frame 1 in the Z-axis direction. If the male and female housings 4 and 6 are displaced from their axes of connection when the trim panel 5 is brought closer to the door frame 1, the female housings 6 will shift or float to face and align with the male housings 4, thereby enabling the housings 4 and 6 to be connected properly with each other.
However, in the above construction, the female housings 6 sometimes rotate with respect to the holders 9, if, for example, the male housings 4 are brought laterally into contact with the female housings 6 by mistake when the trim panel 5 is assembled into the door frame 1. Female housings 6 that rotate excessively with respect to the holders 9, may not return to their original positions and, therefore, could not be connected with the male housings 4.
In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector mounting construction, a corresponding connector and a corresponding holder, which can prevent a housing mounted in a floating state from excessively rotating with respect to a holder.